Circuit-closing device.



-L. R. SAUNDERS. CIRCUIT CLOSING DEVICE. union-m1 nun 3341,1010.

mm can 25, 1910.

LESLIE R. SAUNDERS, 015 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

CIRCUIT-CLOSING D'EVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented- Oct. 25, 1910.

Application filed February 21, 1910. Serial N0 545,187.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Lnsmn R. SAUNDERS, a citizen. of the United States,and a resident of Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented a new and Improved Circuit-Closing Device, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This improvement relates to means for intermittently closing and openingelectric circuits, especially the primary circuits of explosion-enginesparking devices, and the object of this invention is to provide amotor-driven mechanism which shall regularly close an electric circuitand again open the same, the rate of these operations depending upon thespeed of the motor, but the periods durin which the circuit is closedbelng extreme y short and entirely independent of the speed of themotor. I

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of this improvedclrcuit-closing device with the cover and the holding-down springremoved. Fig. 2 is a similar View with the parts in a slightlydifierentposition. Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line '33 ofFig. 1.Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are details.

Similar-reference characters refer to like parts throughout the severalviews.

finement is not necessary to the operation of this device, althoughdesirable.

Projecting upward from the driver 3 is a central in or ournal 6 on whichis mounted a col ar 7 having any desired number of teeth 8, four beinshown. This collar has a notch 9 onits ower side into which the toothlO'on the driver projects. This tooth is beveled on its rear side, sothat when the driver runs backward, that is, to the left, the onlyeffect will be that the collar .7 will be lifted up. A post 12,projectingfrom the bottom 13 of the case, supports aflat spring 14:,which has an opening-at its free end so it may be held from swinging bythe pin 6, which extends through th1s opening.

This sprin will always v press down-on the collar 7. ythese means, thetaoth lo will follows.

always be caused to engage in the notch 9 when the driver turns to theright. The collar 7 and its teeth 8 together are the immediate means forcausing the closing of the circuit and are called the actuator. circuitmay connect directly to the case on one side as by the wire 41, whilethe other side may connect to the insulated abutment 17 through thescrew 18, the wire 19 passing out through any desired opening, such as20 in the bottom 13. This abutment 17 carries a contact element,preferably'in the form of a screw 22. Any other, desired electricalconnection can be made with this con tact element.

Movably mounted in the case, referably The on a pivot screw 25, is alever 26 aving its free end curved to form a hookto engage the free endof the spring27 secured to th1s abutment and force the contact 28against .the screw 22. A pin 31 prevents the spring 29 from swinging thelever in too far.

Movably mounted in the case, preferably pivoted on a screw-pin 33, isthe accelerator 34 which .has'a heel 35 normally bearing against the pin36, and normally held in the position shown in Fig. 1 by any desiredresilient device such as the spring 37 carried by the post 12. On thisaccelerator is a cam-shoulder 39 adapted to be engaged-by one'tooth ofthe actuator, while its outer end is curved inwardly to form a finger 40to ator at the speed of the driver 3 and a tooth The tooth 10 will turnthe'actu- I 8* will engage the cam-shoulder 39, pushin back theaccelerator against the tension 0 its spring 37 until the parts are inthe position shown, in Fig. 1. As soon as this tooth-8 has passed thecam-shoulder 39 the spring 37 will snap the accelerator inward. to theposition shown in Fi .2, and the finger -10 will strike the secon tooth8 and carry the actuator around from the position shown in Fig. 1, tothat in Fig. 2 the tooth 8 passing the cam-shoulder 28 on the lever.Durin the instant this tooth passes this shoul er, the circuit will beclosed. Because of the length of the notch 9, the accelerator canrevolve the actuator in advance of its driving tooth 10. It willtherefore be clearly seen that the length of time the circuit remainsclosed will always be the same or greater speed than may be done by theaccelerator and its spring. Any desired cover 42 may be employed, thatshown being held in position y screws 43. In case the driver is turnedin the reverse direction, a tooth 8 will immediately'engage the shoulder28 on the lever 26. The tooth 10 will move until it reaches the'rear endof the notch 9 when its inclined rear side will engage the incline 44(Fig. 5) liftin .the actuator against the sprin 14. Theriver can thusrevolve without 0 osing the circuit, no tooth 8 passing the shoulder 28to swing out the lever 26 and the contact 30. As has been explained, theteeth 8 engage and pass the shoulder 28 while the actuator is beingdrive h by the accelerator, and the accelerator drivesthe proper toothentirely past the shoulder 28. It is therefore impossible for thisdevice to stop in closed circuit position. The extreme simplicity of theconstruction and the accessibility of the various parts makes thiscircuit closing device es ecially ada ted for use by the general public.

any changes in the details of construction may be made by those skilledin the art without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having now explained my improvements, what I claim as m invention anddesire to secure by Letters Iatent is v 1. In a circuit closing device,the combination of a lurality of contact elements movable-relatively toeach other, a revoluble driver, a collar adapted to cause the contactpoints to enga e, said collar revoluble with said driver, an anaccelerator,a spring to drive the 'same, to revolve said collar duringthe time it forces the contact points to engage. I

2. Ina circuit closing device, the combination of a contact-element inan electric circuit adapted to be movedto close said circuit, anactuator to periodically move said contact-element to circuit closingposition, means to normally move said actuator at constant speed, anaccelerator adapted to be positioned by the actuator, and a spring to.ator at a constant speed, an accelerator and return the accelerator andthereby move the actuator at increased speed while closing the circuit.

. 3. In a circuit closing device, 'the combination of a contact-elementin an electric circuit adapted to be moved to close said circuit, anactuator revoluble to periodically move said contact-element to circuitclosing position, means to normally drive the actuspring to tension thesame, said accelerator positioned to normally engage the actuator and beforced back by the same against the tension of the spring and thenreleased to engage the actuator at increased s (1 while it causes theclosing of the circuit.

4.- In a circuit closingdevice, the combi- 1 nation of a contact-elementin an electric circuit adapted to be moved to close said circuit, amotor-driven revpluble actuator to periodically move saidcontact-element to circuit closing position, a driver to support andnormally revolve said actuator at con-- stant speed, and a reciprocatingspringdriven accelerator for turnin said actuator at increased speed'while it causes the closing of the circuit.

5. In a circuit closing device, the combination-of a contact-element inan electric circuit adapted to be moved to close said cir-' cuit, anaccelerator, a spring to drive the same, and an actuator to perlodicallymove said contact-element to circuit closing position under an impulsefrom the accelerator, and a driver for moving said actuator between theimpulses from the accelerator.

6. In a circuit closing device, the combination of a contact-element inan electric circuit adapted to be moved to close said circuit, areciprocating spring-driven accelerator, a revolving actuator toperiodically move said contact-element to circuit cl o n m positionunder an impulse from theacceierator, and a revoluble driver supportingsaid actuator and revolving the samebetween the impulses from theaccelerator.

7.'In a circuitclosing device, the combination of a stationary and amovable contact element, a revoluble driver, a toothed actuator mountedthereon and intermittently revolved thereby, an accelerator ivotedadjacent said actuator and adaptedito be swung outward thereby, and aspring engaging said accelcrator to return the same to engage theactuator to revolve the same between the movements imparted by thedriver, said actuator engaging the movable contact element under theimpulse of the accelerator to cause the closing of the circuit.

8. In a circuit closing device, the combi- I nation of a plurality ofcontacts for closing the circuit, a revoluble driver, a toothed actuatorfor'causing the contacts to engage, an accelerator adapted to be movedto operative 130 position by said actuator, a spring to operate saidaccelerator to engage. the toothed actuator to turn the same and therebycausethe closing 01 the circuit, and independent means to immediatelyopen said circuit.

9. In a circuit closing device, the combination of a contact-elementmovable to close an electric circuit, an actuator to periodically movethe contact-element to circuit closing position, means to normallyrevolve said actuator at constant speed in one direction, means toprevent said actuator from turning in the opposite direction, and anaccelerator adapted to be positioned by the actuator and spring drivenfor moving said actuator at increased speed while it causes the closingof the circuit.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

- LESLIE R. SAUNDERS Witnesses:

EDWARD N. PAGELsEN, ELIZABETI-I M. Brown.

